Seeing the suspicious blush creeping onto his daughter’s face and the tangled expression between her brows, Bai Jinghuai’s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly asked, “Don’t tell me… don’t tell me Lord Ning took the opportunity to make things difficult for you? Or did he make some outrageous demand? Qingqing, gratitude is one thing, but there must be limits. If he…”
“No, Lord Ning isn’t that kind of person.”
Bai Qingqing rushed to explain. “He didn’t make things hard for me. Although Lord Ning can be sharp-tongued and has a bit of a temper, he’s actually a good man. He casually found an excuse and treated it as if I’d repaid the favor already. Really, he didn’t trouble me at all.”
It’s just that… she’d changed clothes for him. Compared to the favor she owed, that was nothing, really.
But still… she felt oddly embarrassed saying it out loud. It just felt strange.
Worried her father and brother wouldn’t believe her, Bai Qingqing quickly added, “Honestly, he just looks improper—probably because his face always carries that ‘up to no good’ expression. But he’s warm-hearted, has a sense of justice, and is a truly upright man.”
Bai Yan felt a twinge in his chest. If he hadn’t seen with his own eyes how Ning Yan sent a court official flying with a single brutal kick, he might have believed her.
Even Bai Jinghuai, who usually took his daughter’s every word as gospel, was suddenly at a loss for words. For a moment, the room fell into an awkward silence.
His voice carried an unusual hesitation. “Then, as you say, should I send someone to ask for his preferences? Would that be too forward?” Find the newest release on nοvelfire.net
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
The way Bai Qingqing spoke about him had left his thoughts in a complete tangle. How did one go about thanking someone for such a tremendous favor? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Was Ning Yan truly that easy to get along with?
When Bai Jinghuai heard that Ning Yan had actually agreed to attend the banquet at their residence, he immediately grabbed his eldest son, looking visibly anxious. “Didn’t you say he wouldn’t accept? What do we do now? I truly didn’t think this through. If he gets too close to the Bai family, might he get dragged into our troubles as well? What if it draws the Emperor’s suspicion? We can’t repay kindness with harm.”
Bai Yan found it odd too, but managed to stay somewhat composed. “Lord Ning holds a high position—he likely understands better than we do what can and can’t be done. If he’s agreed, then it probably won’t cause trouble. Let’s just make sure we host him properly. As for how to repay this favor…”
He was still fretting about that himself. At one point, his thoughts went briefly haywire—Qingqing said Ning Yan enjoyed teasing people, so… should they humbly ask to be teased?
That ridiculous idea flickered for a second before Bai Yan pulled himself together. This was exactly why he found dealing with someone like Ning Yan so maddening—you could never get a read on what the man was really thinking. Qingqing had seen his vicious side too, so how could she still believe he was upright and decent?
The Bai family spared no effort in preparing the banquet for Ning Yan. Madam Qiao was particularly attentive. Though she still harbored unease toward Ning Yan in her heart, she was determined to make everything flawless—this man had saved her husband and son, after all.
It was Ning Yan’s first time visiting as a guest. Bai Jinghuai and Bai Yan personally received him, both intent on expressing their utmost sincerity.
Then Ning Yan arrived—unapologetically dressed in full Jinyiwei uniform, that perpetual half-smile hanging on his lips, phoenix eyes half-lidded. His very presence exerted an invisible pressure.
Bai Jinghuai couldn’t help but curse silently. Just how had Qingqing managed to slap words like “righteous” and “warmhearted” onto this man? Had he somehow failed in raising his daughter properly?